BFIRBERIS, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Ber heridacew, among which it is imniediately known by its shrubby habit, berried fruit, and the presence of glands upon its petals. It is also remarkable for the irritability of its stamens, which, when the filament \ is touched on the inside with the point of a pin or any other hard instrument, bend forward towards the pistil, touch the stigma with the anther, remain curved for a short time, and then partially recover their erect position : this is best seen in warm dry weather. After heavy rain the phenoinenon can scarcely he observed, owing, in all probability to the springs of the filaments having been already set in motion by the dashing of the rain upon them, or to the flowers having been forcibly struck against each other. This irritability of the fila ment is affected differently by different noxious substances. It has been found by Messrs. Macaire and 3larcet, that if you poison a Bar erry with any corrosive agent, such as arsenic or corrosive sublimate, he filaments become rigid and brittle, and lose their irritability ; ile, on the other hand, if the poisoning be effected by any narcotic, s 1 as prussic acid, opium, or belladonna, the irritability is destroyed by the filaments becoming so relaxed and flaccid that they can be eau v bent in any direction. This property is also lost under the Milli nee of the vapour of ether and chloroform. This motion seems to d Pend on the same property which gives to the free cells of the lower plants so great a power of motion quite entire, glaucous on the under side ; flowers solitary, on slender stalks, twice as long as the leaves. A native of the south-western part of South America, from the Strait of 31agallmens to Valdivia, where it forms a small evergreen bush. Its fruit is round, black, about as largo as a pea ; it is said to be sweet and well suited for making tarts or preeerving.
IL heterophylla, Various-Leaved Barberry.—Spines strong, 3-parted; leaves obovate, lanceolate, acute, either entire or with from three to five spiny teeth, very deep green ; flowers solitary, on stalks about twice as long as the leaves. An inelegant bush about three feet high, bare of leaves, and having nothing but its rarity to recommend it ; it is a native of the Strait of Magalhaens ; in the gardens it is usually called B. ilicifolia; there is a figure of it in Bookers' Exotic Flora,'
It Empetrifolia, Crowborry-Leaved Barberry.—Spines slender, long, in three or five deep divisions ; leaves linear, with a spiny point, rolled back at the edge, collected in bundles in the rails of the spines ; flowers solitary, growing on stalks about as long as the leaves. A very curious and pretty plant, found wild from the Cordilleras of Chili to the southern point of the American continent, over the whole of which country it appears to be very common. In general aspect it is much more like a Heath than a Barberry.
Besides these species there are several of great beauty as evergreen shrubs in South America.
4. Leares leathery, evergreen; Flowers in racemes.
B. Many-Flowered Barberry.—Spines very stiff, and 3-parted ; leaves oblong or oblongdruiceolate, nearly entire or toothed in various degrees, sometimes very deeply and coarsely veined ; flowers in long loose slender racemes. Apparently extremely common in the whole of the north of India, where it forms n tall bush, varying con siderably in the size and form of the leaves, and in the degree in which they are toothed, but always well marked by its slender, pen dulous, or erect racemes of flowers, which are much longer than the leaves, and in no degree corymbose. It is to be found occasionally in the more choice collections of this country. Out of accidental varia tions in its mode of leafing and flowering, the spurious species called B. affinis and B. eeratophylla have been constituted.
B. Asialka, Raisin Barberry.---Spines small and weak, simple or 3-parted ; leaves oblong or obovate, acute, somewhat glaucous beneath, either entire or coarsely or even finely toothed ; flowers in short com racemes not longer than the leaves. Found in Nepaul and maen very abundantly, forming a tall bush with tho habit of the common European Barberry. The fruit is round, covered over with a thick bloom, and has altogether the appearance of the finest raisins. It is produced abundantly in this climate, where the plant is now not very uncommon. The very short racemes are the principal distinction of this species when in flower.